Deadly Silence
by Nikita Duncan
Summary: A new danger looms in the PsyNet, turning even the most resilient Psy into cold-blooded killers. While the leaders of the Ruling Coalition are looking for a cure, some questions still remain open: How do you stop a disease when you can't see its symptoms? How do you distinguish between the healthy and infected? And how do you fight something you can't detect? Anthony x Nikita
1. Chapter 1

**Hello!**

 **I've been around here for a while now but haven't had the courage to post anything, especially since the psy-changeling community on this website doesn't seem to be very active.**

 **I know that MagicMaryse and MissPadfoot101 have both posted two great stories that include our favorite Psy couple who will never get their own book, but this has been on my mind for a very long time now. I have yet to read Silver Silence so anything that is similar content-wise or even the same is purely coincidental.**

 **The story is set some time after the attempted assassination of Nikita and explores her relationship with Anthony as well as a new threat that is looming in the PsyNet. I am always looking for feedback, especially regarding grammar and the plot. If something doesn't add up or feels too rushed, please let me know. I already have the story outlined in my head and know my characters and what's going to happen, so things may not seem rushed for me as the author.**

 **Anyway, enough talking - enjoy the first chapter and let me know what you think!**

* * *

Ending a call with a potential client in Los Angeles, a business deal that, despite the company being owned by humans, could result in a significant return should everything go smoothly, Nikita walked away from the wall-mounted comm to her desk. Since the conversation had ended earlier than expected, she still had at least a few minutes before her meeting with Mr. Hunter in the second half of the morning. Time, Nikita used to look over the financial standing of the DarkRiver project, a business deal that had proved to be extremely beneficial.

A knock on the door interrupted her only seconds later; it was accompanied by a telepathic touch that identified the person as Sophia Russo, her senior aide. Ms. Russo was one of the few people Nikita trusted, a former J-Psy who, along with her husband, Max Shannon, wouldn't betray her, so long as she didn't cross the moral lines they'd lain down.

It was well known that many Psy in the Net frowned upon her choice of employees; but if there was anything Nikita valued, it was loyalty. Knowing that she wouldn't get a knife in the back was worth some readjustment of her methods and tactics – even if it meant that she'd be challenged in her decisions.

"Come in," Nikita said, not looking up from the report.

Sophia entered the office with a slim organizer in her hand, her charcoal-black hair pinned back in a soft knot at the back of her head.

"You have a meeting with Lucas Hunter in five minutes," the other woman reminded her. "He's already waiting for you in the internal conference room downstairs."

Nikita closed the documents on the computer screen, a flat panel which then slid down and into the surface of her desk, and stood up, smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles in her flawless black pantsuit.

Lucas Hunter was the leader of one of the two biggest local changeling packs in San Francisco, the DarkRiver leopards. He had become the ruling alpha at the age of twenty-three, young even for a changeling, and had consolidated DarkRiver's hold over the city and its surrounding regions in over a decade since.

The business deal between the leopards and the Duncan Group had started three years ago, a time when Silence had still been protocol and Nikita part of the Council; a position that had given her much power. Power she'd needed to protect the only daughter she'd ever borne, a child whose true ability had been crushed under the harsh conditions of an environment that stood against everything Sascha was. Nikita had built an empire that was strong enough to keep her cardinal daughter safe, had gained the reputation of an ice-cold bitch no one dared cross. A truth that, of course, she'd never admit.

Entering the conference room, Nikita didn't have to look at the people occupying two of the ten seats around the oval table; she'd known the identity of the second one the moment she'd stepped out of the elevator.

It didn't matter how well Sascha shielded herself; Nikita always knew when her daughter was close. It was an instinct so primal in its nature that nothing could alter it, a connection only shared between a mother and her child; one that even Silence had been unable to crush.

"Mr. Hunter," Nikita said, acknowledging the alpha male with a curt nod. "Sascha."

The relationship between her and her daughter had never been a maternal one and Nikita drew up another layer of protection, not daring to risk giving Sascha an accidental glance at what lay behind the shields that had stood for over half a century; not in her condition.

"Mother," Sascha's tone was gentle, betraying the soft heart of an empath.

Nikita allowed herself to look into her daughter's cardinal eyes, white stars on black, her gaze lingering for only a moment to not betray what was hidden deep inside her mind.

"Nikita," Hunter said, his voice low and a little rough, one arm protectively put around his mate.

She did not acknowledge the informality with which he addressed her, letting it slip instead, focusing on the task at hand.

"I've looked at your offer," Nikita began, drawing up a digital print of the contract of a new project with DarkRiver and transmitting it to the big screen on the wall so the other two could see it as well.

"What do you think?" His eyes were clear and alert and Nikita knew that, despite their alliance, Lucas Hunter would never entirely trust her, always prepared to strike in case she posed a threat to him or Sascha.

His sharp teeth and claws were as lethal as her psychic powers, leaving none of them in any advantage. She was not fooled into believing that she was facing an animal, too wild and primal to think rationally, too stupid to pose any danger to her person. Nikita was very well aware that he was her equal and was more than capable of killing her.

"Our business alliance has proved beneficial for both sides so far," she stated. "I agree with most of the content."

Hunter raised an eyebrow, a gesture that had absolutely no effect on her. "Most of it? Which part don't you agree with?"

DarkRiver's business interests were extensive enough to rival her own, something the changelings made sure to remember her of if they felt that their position was threatened. Usually, Nikita would never consider closing a deal with a party that had the power to challenge her demands – not that there were many companies who had the financial and political influence necessary for such a step – but the world kept changing at a rather rapid rate; she had no intentions of letting change subdue her.

"We both know that you've already presold all the homes, Mr. Hunter," Nikita said matter-of-factly, her hands laid out flat on the glass surface of the table. "I'm willing to offer twelve million and you will inform me of any changes at any stage. The wolves will remain a silent partner."

Control was important, it ensured a powerful position, one that didn't offer room for her business partner to readjust the deal without consulting with her first.

Nikita's psychic senses picked up a[FW1] ripple that went through the PsyNet; similar to a breeze of wind disturbing the calm surface of the ocean. Seconds later, a telepathic touch followed; Anthony.

 _Did you pick that up?_ He pathed, his presence in the Net as sharp and clear as her own.

 _Yes. Do you know what it was?_

Nikita was a powerful TP-Psy with a 9.1 gradient on the scale, her senses rarely missed disruptions in the Net.

 _No. I_ _'_ _m working on it, see what I can find out. If we felt it, I_ _'_ _m sure Kaleb will have too. I_ _'_ _ll contact him._

Nikita wasn't sure if the other Psy noticed his choice of words; she had, but she wasn't about to inquire. Right now, the business deal with DarkRiver and the predator sitting opposite of her required her full attention. Nikita doubted that Lucas Hunter would take advantage of the little interruption, seeing as Sascha was accompanying him, but she would never rely on a sole assumption when it came to changelings.

 _Good,_ she pathed.

 _I will contact you as soon as I know more._

They ended their conversation without saying goodbye, the words only being a waste of time that could be used in a more beneficial way.

"Mother?"

Nikita blinked, refocusing her gaze at the scene before her. Sascha's tone was full of emotion, as was always the case, betraying the worry she currently felt. Nikita had learned to read and recognize her daughter's behavior years ago, when her own child had not been able to protect herself and relied solely on her mother.

"I'm fine," Nikita replied, something she'd never had to do before, but the wounds had weakened her greatly and she knew that lying to Sascha when they were sitting face to face was useless. "A telepathic wave went through the PsyNet. Anthony is looking into it."

Sascha's cardinal eyes went wide and she gasped. "Another outbreak?"

Nikita shook her head, her jet-black hair coming into motion.

"No," she said, her emotions buried deep inside her mind where nothing could ever reach them. "I could not detect anything in it that resembles the disease. It was of no danger."

But it should not be discarded as a small disturbance in the Net. Nikita had been alive long enough to recognize anomalies when she encountered them, and a telepathic wave of this strength, poisonous or not, had to be investigated.

"You worry about it," Sascha said, her hand entwined with that of Lucas Hunter who watched her with cool interest.

"I do not feel, Sascha," Nikita reminded her only child, her voice icy.

She could not afford to break, to let people think that she was weak; not now, not ever. Her shields were strong, reinforced with a deadly virus that would instantly kill anyone who came too close without announcing themselves first; anyone but the man who had somehow managed to neutralize her defenses without doing a single aggressive act.

Anthony Kyriakus was a powerful Psy, as icily and ruthless as Nikita herself when the occasion called for it, who had not erased her star from the Net while she'd been injured and defenseless. Instead, he had protected her.

None of it fitted with her worldview, but digging for an answer would mean breaking into his mind. Under normal circumstances, Nikita would not hesitate to carry out an act like this, she'd even do it herself if necessary; but she had no desire to betray the trust they had so carefully established. Anthony was a powerful ally who shared her interests geographically and economically; she'd be a fool to turn him against her.

"Mother," Sascha sighed, shaking her head.

"Shall we continue with the business?" Nikita asked, not irritated by her daughter's words. "We'll settle for twelve million, then."

She picked up her organizer, the slim device light in her hands, making notes she would then pass on to Sophia to set up a new version of the contract.

A dark chuckle from Mr. Hunter, a slight growl to it that hinted at the beast beneath the surface, sounded through the room. Nikita did not blink, her impeccable conditioning leaving her completely unaffected by it, though she recognized a threat when she heard it.

"Fifteen million," Hunter countered. "I may have to remind you that we're the best out there. Fifteen million or we'll walk."

"Thirteen," Nikita replied coolly, she'd been in the business for too long for him to bully her. "And I want rights to approve each stage of the work from concept to construction."

Hunter shook his head, a feline smile spreading over his face now. "We've been through this before, Nikita." He leaned forward. "Fifteen million, and the wolves get fifty percent of the return."

Silence followed his words as Nikita calculated the costs of the project in her head. Even if the Duncan Group invested fifteen million, it would still result in a generous return and she couldn't afford to lose DarkRiver as a business partner, not with the direction the world was changing in.

"Fine," she finally said. "The project will still be beneficial enough. However, the wolves will get the originally agreed twenty percent of the deal."

Nikita made sure to stress that this was her final offer, take it or leave it. There was always a risk involved that the other party would decline the offer, but she had to remind the alpha who he was dealing with; that Nikita Duncan had been there long before Lucas Hunter was even born.

"Agreed," Hunter nodded. "I would like to have a printed copy of the contract when it's finished."

Nikita nodded, already familiar with the changelings' need of wanting a printed version of all their documents; a waste of time, resources and space. The readjustment of her usual methods were a small price compared to the substantial margin of profit she received from the projects with DarkRiver, however.

"Ms. Russo will send you the copies tomorrow."

It was all Nikita said, more was not required; the meeting was closed.

* * *

 **Note: Some might have seen the story already on archiveofourown and might notice the difference in the plot summary. That's because FanFiction only allows a 300-something word summary which is too short to put in my original one. The story is the same though. ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello and a quick thank you to MissPadfoot, Magic Maryse and Guest for your reviews!**

 **I'm glad you like my story so far, so I don't want to keep you waiting any longer. Here is chapter two for all of you to read! It's a little bit shorter than the previous one but don't worry, this won't be the norm. I just felt like this should be an extra chapter, that's why.**

 **As a reply to my Guest reviewer: I accidentally had all anonymous reviews turned off. Sorry! Fixed it last night, so all should be working now.**

 **I hope you all enjoy reading this! Feel free to leave behind some feedback! :)**

* * *

Kaleb Krychek met with Anthony Kyriakus not more than two hours after the telepathic wave had rippled through the PsyNet.  
"Anthony," Kaleb greeted the older male who stood looking out of the glass window to the right of his desk, his dark hair silvered at the temples.  
Anthony Kyriakus turned, hands clasped together behind his back, his bearing that of a man at the head of one of the most influential families in the Net. His lack of surprise at seeing the younger Psy in his office told Kaleb that he'd been expecting him.  
"You've been looking into the matter." Anthony didn't have to ask, the reason for Kaleb's visit was clear.  
"Yes," Kaleb replied to the man whose family line had produced the most accurate and gifted F-Psy in the world, as well as the woman she shared a bond with that ran deeper than any other connection he'd ever had. It also made Anthony Kyriakus family, an awkward fact that both men had silently agreed to ignore. "The telepathic range was wide enough to reach most regions of the Net. I came across multiple low gradient Psy who also noticed the wave, but I could not detect any general concern among the populace."  
It had been one of the first things Kaleb had looked for; signs of Psy who spread more fear among their race with speculations about what had caused the telepathic wave. The political situation was tense enough as it was, there was no need to add fuel to the already sky-high wildfire that had been ignited by the fall of Silence.  
Anthony nodded. "Nevertheless, we should think of something to counteract in case the situation changes. We can't afford more instability than what we're already dealing with."  
"I agree. I'll have Silver monitor the Net, if anyone raises their voice, we'll know."  
Kaleb considered neither Anthony nor Nikita as allies in the sense that he trusted them, despite the fact that the three of them currently had the same end goals in mind; but he was also aware that the disease spreading in the PsyNet was a problem he couldn't face on his own. He'd never let his guard down, and only Sahara was allowed to see what lay beneath his obsidian shields.  
"The source of the wave?" Anthony asked curtly, his gaze returning to the window.  
"I was unable to narrow it down," Kaleb answered, deciding on the truth.  
There was no need to provide the ex-Councilor with a lie; Kaleb admitted to no weakness, the timeframe too short to extract precise information.  
The comm on Anthony's desk rang, the number shown on the display identifying the caller as the woman who'd allied herself with the head of the NightStar Clan because they both shared the same interests, geographically and economically.  
"Nikita."  
The ex-Councilor's face was expressionless, the glossy black of her liquid-straight hair brushing her shoulders; a ruthless business woman. Ruling Coalition aside, Kaleb was well aware that he was facing one of the most dangerous women in the world; one who'd kill him in an instant if he proved to be a threat – if he'd let her.  
"Anthony informed me of your presence," she said directed at him. "Do we know what caused the surge?"  
Interesting. But it would spare him the trip to her office in San Francisco.  
"No," he replied, not acknowledging her first statement. "It's not another outbreak, the disease has not moved to another part of the Net. I'd need another surge to narrow down the exact location before we can investigate the origin."  
"We don't know if there will be a second one."  
It was true. Since Kaleb had not been able to determine the exact location and origin of the surge, a second telepathic wave could not be predicted.  
"Did you talk to Faith?"  
The most accurate and gifted F-Psy in the world, a cardinal with extraordinary power – and Anthony's daughter.  
Now, the man in question said a curt, "No." Kaleb was not surprised, he rarely was. Having defected shortly after Sascha Duncan, Faith NightStar had no connection to the PsyNet; it was impossible for either of them to have heard of the incident.  
"I was in a business meeting with Hunter when it happened," Nikita informed them. "Sascha was present as well, it is possible that she told Faith about it."  
Kaleb nodded, seeing the older woman's point. If Sascha had been with Nikita this morning, she had without a doubt noticed the incident; being a cardinal Empath, she picked up what most others were too weak or narrow-minded to see.  
"From what I understood, these kinds of visions are randomly triggered," Anthony intervened, cool eyes resting on the image of Nikita's face on the screen. "Unlike business-related forecasts, they can't be forced to happen."  
Slanted eyes of deep brown gazed back at them, unfazed and icy as the sharp mind behind them. "No, but it might help her recognize a vision that could be related to the case. The surge was clear of any toxins or diseases, it does not require immediate drastic actions from our side."  
Kaleb nodded. "Then it's settled. We will either wait for another wave or a vision that could lead us to the source. Unless, one of you has a more efficient solution to approach the matter?"  
Careful not to give away the impression that he wanted to subdue their power, Kaleb waited for them to voice their opinions. Most powerful TK-Psy in the Net or not, he needed the support of the other fractions; otherwise he could not lead his race to where he wanted them to go.  
"No," Nikita said. "The only other option I see is conducting an active research. It would be a waste of resources and would take a considerable amount of time. It's best if we wait and observe."  
"I agree with Nikita," Anthony backed her up. "I don't see the need to invest Coalition money. Additionally, given the recent outbreaks in the Net our people are already spread thin, we can't afford to take them off duty now."  
Their lack of people was not the only reason why they couldn't use members to investigate; involving the Ruling Coalition meant that their research would be made public.  
Teleporting back to his home in Moscow, Kaleb was already working on the development of a strategy to track down the origin of the surge. It was different from the telepathic waves that had rattled the PsyNet during outbreaks; it was less forceful, not lethal or harmful.  
Kaleb opened his senses to the vastness that was the Net, millions of white stars on a black firmament representing each mind of his race. The constant buzz of the never-ending streaming surrounded him, but he had no interest in listening in on others' thoughts, not today – Kaleb Krychek was searching for the NetMind.  
Young and childlike in its behavior, it had to be handled with care, only answered to kindness, always looking for love. Kaleb, while deep in Silence, had learned to imitate the feelings, sending the NetMind images of happiness to attract its attention.  
It swirled around him, curious as ever, but today he had no time to sooth its longings for emotion; Kaleb needed answers.  
 _Do you know where this came from?_ He asked, sending pictures of the surge.  
 _?_  
Kaleb tried again. This time he included images of the outbreaks, the black tendrils of the disease.  
Confusion, darkness, fear.  
Kale retreated from the PsyNet and his cardinal gaze met with a pair of midnight-blue eyes. Sahara, the one woman who meant the world to him; for whom he would tear apart the universe and smash every soul that dared harm her.  
"You talked to the NetMind." His mate's voice was kind, its softness stirring feelings of protectiveness inside a heart he'd never known existed.  
Kaleb nodded and stood up to take her into his arms, her scent surrounding him. He never had to explain himself to her, Sahara almost always knew what troubled him; it was hard to evade a mind as intelligent as hers.  
"It's confused," he replied while stroking her head.  
"Maybe it was nothing," Sahara mumbled into his shoulder. "A minor disruption. The Net is currently unstable - who knows which consequences the disease might have."  
"Maybe."  
She looked up at him, small wrinkles forming on her forehead. "You disagree."  
"The wave went through the entire Net," Kaleb explained. "Minor disruptions are usually found in specific locations, small regions that can easily be kept in check. I was unable to even narrow down the origin of today's surge."  
Kaleb could see the wrinkles on her forehead deepen. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have troubled her with such thoughts, but this affected them all; every single Psy in the world would be fighting for their life if the Net collapsed.  
"There was no outbreak following the surge," Sahara said. "Do you think the disease has changed? Because of the Honeycomb?"  
Similar to a virus adapting to medication. Kaleb would have to consult Nikita on the matter. The former Councilor had never admitted it out loud, she didn't have to; they both knew of her lethal ability. There was a reason why Nikita Duncan had survived in the Council for over a decade, making even the most powerful Cardinals fear an encounter with her.  
"Possible."  
"You're not convinced," Sahara stated, taking a step back to sit on the glass surface of his desk.  
Her dark hair framed her delicate face like a halo of black satin. Kaleb resisted the urge to let his hands run through it, his fingers prickling with the knowledge of how soft it would feel.  
"The NetMind was confused when I asked about the surge." He clasped his hands behind his back, his cardinal gaze resting on his mate's features. "It couldn't find a connection between the disease and the telepathic wave, but it was afraid."  
"Afraid of what?"  
"I don't know."  
It was the truth. For the first time since the NetMind had started to communicate with him, it had not told Kaleb the origin of its feelings. Just a vast blackness, so dark and thick that he'd been able to taste the bitterness of the fear that lingered within it.


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope you folks are all having a nice and relaxing weekend! :)**

 **I'm having technical difficulties with my laptop. I can't change the font color in Word anymore which wouldn't exactly be a big problem, if the letters were black. Unfortunately, they're white which means that I can't see what I'm writing, so... yeah... I'm working on it and wanted to release the readable part of chapter three to give you all something to read.**

 **I'm really hoping for some more feedback here. It's difficult to write when I'm not a hundred percent happy with the content, so it would be great if you could give me some hints as to how I am doing.**

 **Thanks a lot!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Sascha still kept a firm hold on her worry even five hours after the meeting with her mother. It had been business-related, short and direct like most of their encounters. It had also been interrupted by a telepathic surge rippling through the PsyNet; a surge strong enough to get Nikita's attention.

According to her mother, it'd been harmless but the fact that Anthony Kyriakus had immediately contacted her on a psychic plane, told Sascha that something was not right. And it worried her.

The Web of Stars, created of loyalty, love and emotions and so much stronger than the PsyNet, was flourishing with the hope of a better future where Psy, changelings and humans saw each other as equals. No mind connected to this colorful network would ever have to fear isolation. They were safe and loved and cherished, not crippled and suppressed by an ice-cold government.

It was what made the Web of Stars so different from the barren vastness of the PsyNet. It was also what worried Sascha the most; the disease that had claimed thousands of lives so far and continued to spread despite every effort of the Empaths to stop it.

The most powerful race on the planet was on the verge of extinction a hundred years after creating a solution to save the Psy. Silence had not saved them, it had turned them into cold-blooded, emotionless robots, functioning only to work and gain power – regardless of the many losses resulting from it. It pained Sascha to the core when she thought of all the parents who lost their children when the Protocol was introduced in 1979. She couldn't bear the thought of anyone taking away her precious, mischievous little Naya, so full of life and happiness, and turn her into a ruthless killer.

Wrenching her anger under control with a harsh effort of will, Sascha clenched her fists and walked the final meters to a border section of DarkRiver's Yosemite territory; the new play area for their pack's cubs and Arrow children.

Usually, she drove there from the aerie with Naya, picking up Tamsyn's boys along the way, but Ashaya and Faith had taken them today while Sascha and Lucas had met with Nikita.

She reached the play area to find her daughter in the middle of a small group of children, Psy, humans and changelings huddled together at the foot of a large tree, laughing at what was unmistakably an illusion created by Faith.

It warmed her heart to see them all getting along, completely unaware of the war going on around them.

"I'll never get tired of this," Faith said dreamily when Sascha approached them.

Unlike Sascha and Ashaya, the small red-head didn't have a child, but she loved playing with the others and since she could create hyper-realistic illusions, Faith was particularly popular among the younger generation.

"I know what you mean," Ashaya replied, her pale blue-gray eyes full of love when she watched Keenan climb onto a wooden wall with the help of two DarkRiver cubs. "They don't distinguish between races. For them, it's not important what you are but how you treat your friends. No war, no political ideologies."

Sascha nodded, perching herself on a bench the kids used for whatever their imaginations made of it during their games.

"This is how it should be," she said lovingly. "How it should have always been."

Faith nodded in agreement, the dark red of her hair and creamy skin a beautiful contrast to the royal blue colored sweater she was dressed in. Her short legs were dangling of the edge of the bench.

"How'd the meeting go?" Faith asked after a while, a peaceful expression on her face as she watched a group of children chase the illusion of a white bunny around the play area.

Sascha sighed, thinking back of her mother's cold rejection when she'd offered her help.

"You know how she is," Sascha said wistfully. "Business is business, no matter the partner."

Faith gave her a sympathetic smile, one hand gently resting on Sascha's shoulder.

"She'll come around," the foreseer said with a convinced-sounding certainty. "My father has spent a lifetime in Silence as well. If he can make it, so can Nikita."

Anthony hadn't really breached Silence and he was a long way from being anything like Faith or Sahara, but he showed his family that he cared for them; not by shedding blood but by standing by their side. Sascha desperately wanted to believe Faith. Her mother had been the only constant in her life prior to her defection from the PsyNet and the cardinal Empath wasn't sure if she could handle losing the woman who, despite her often cruel and brutal methods, had raised her to adulthood with the full awareness of her child's flaws.

No, Sascha reminded herself. She wasn't flawed, had never been flawed. Lucas had shown her time and time again that feelings were nothing to be ashamed of, that they were a gift no-one would ever take away from her again. Emotions were part of her ability, part of who she was and she embraced them with every part of her being.

Nikita was different in every way. While Sascha was loving and gentle, her mother was cold and distant, crushing her emotions with a titanium-strong wall of Silence. Where Sascha protected, Nikita destroyed. The only thing they apparently had in common was their protectiveness of their family. They'd both gone to great lengths to kept their loved ones safe. And even if Nikita had never shown maternal feelings toward Sascha, her actions spoke for themselves.

"I worry about her, Faith," Sascha admitted, her heart filled with pain. "Until she was shot I never even considered the thought that she could get hurt. She's always been so strong, so ruthless, riding out the tides that it never occurred to me that she is as vulnerable as any of us."

"She's made this far, Sascha," Faith reassured her. "She's tougher than she looks."

"Besides," Vaughn suddenly added with a sly grin, having joined them on the bench without their notice. "She now has Anthony to take care of her."

"Vaughn!" Faith exclaimed, hitting him on the chest. "That's not funny! We don't even know what's going on between her and my father!"

The jaguar pulled his mate into his arms, nuzzling her neck, a mischievous glint in his cat-like eyes.

Sascha and Ashaya laughed at the pair, knowing fully well that the small red-head had no real objections toward whatever their parents might be doing behind closed doors.

Nothing, neither in Nikita's nor Anthony's demeanor betrayed that they had a relationship outside of politics. Exactly _what_ that relationship was, no-one was quite certain. Every attempt of Faith or Sascha to get a better glimpse at the events behind the curtain was dismissed and Anthony had even gone as far as indirectly telling them to mind their own business.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about," Sascha interrupted their laughter, her tone now more serious.

Faith quickly caught on to the change in her mood, the smile slipping off her face.

"In private?" Her glance was directed at the playing children around them.

Sascha knew Faith didn't want to leave the kids without shields to protect their young minds, her feelings very much the same, so she shook her head.

"No, here's fine. They're too occupied with each other, no-one's going to listen in on our conversation."

Sascha's cardinal eyes had never entirely left her own daughter unattended, her motherly instincts always on the surface.

She was about to tell Faith of the incident earlier this morning, when one of human kids in the small sandbox Dorian and Nathan had built suddenly started to cry, clutching his left arm.

"Damn it," Ashaya cursed when one of the DarkRiver cubs apologetically offered help. "Don't worry, I'll sort this out. You can fill me in on the details later."

She strode off toward the two ruffians, her dark hair blowing in the mild wind. Sascha watched for a moment as Ashaya bent down to the boys, the cub hanging his head, nodding at whatever the older woman had said.

"She's good with children, isn't she?" Faith said, her gaze also lingering on the scene, then turning back to the alpha's mate. "What did you want to talk about?"

Snuggling deeper into the black hoodie she was wearing, the air around them still relatively chilly despite the sun shining today, Sascha sighed, wishing Lucas were around to warm her up.

"When we went to see my mother this morning," she began. "Our meeting was interrupted by a disruption in the PsyNet. Nikita said that it was a telepathic surge, nothing serious."

Faith frowned, wrinkles forming on her forehead as she thought about it. "Couldn't have been another outbreak, we'd have heard of it by now."

"You don't think it was nothing," Vaughn said, his voice calm and serious. "Did you talk to Lucas?"

Sascha nodded. "Yes. He said that I should let it rest for now since Anthony and Kaleb are also looking into it; there's nothing I could do anyway – and he's right. But none of you know how the PsyNet works, I do - a disruption like this one happens for a reason; there are no random surges anywhere in the Net."

Sascha was no longer part of the PsyNet, she would not be able to search it for information regarding the incident. She just hated feeling helpless, knowing that others were in potential danger.

"What kind of surge?" Having belonged to the Net once, Faith had a better understanding of the situation than any of the changelings.

"It carried no traces of the disease," Sascha replied, her voice heavy. "She didn't say anything else."

Faith nodded, leaning into Vaughn's embrace with a smile.

"Lucas is right," she finally said. "There's nothing we could do to help at the moment. I will look out for any clues in my visions, but I can't promise any results. You know that I'm still working on the none-business foresights, they come and go randomly."

Sascha nodded, sending the other Cardinal feelings of gratitude through the Web to let her know how much she appreciated the help. During her days in the PsyNet, she had mastered the skill to shadow other Psy to gain access to the most secure parts of her race's network; even clinging to some of the former Council members for hours if necessary. Now that she was no longer part of it, Sascha had to rely on others to get the information she wanted – not that DarkRiver didn't have its fair share of excellently qualified spies and sources.

"I'm sure my father will be in contact with me soon," Faith added, watching Ashaya and the two boys who were now sitting under a large oak tree. "I'll let you know if I can find out anything else about the surge."

Sascha agreed. Faith was the most gifted F-Psy in the world, her predictions had an accuracy of close to one hundred percent. Anthony Kyriakus would call her for help if he needed it.


End file.
